Councilors Discuss Capital Budget

July 29, 2010 by Josh Morgan

The Town Council continued to mull over various Capital Budget requests on Tuesday night, including sidewalks, a few new public works trucks, and an overhaul at the Cheshire Public Library.
The Public Works department has four requests for the current fiscal year, two of which will need voter approval to move forward. The first item discussed was a $200,000 request to expand or replace broken down sidewalks in town. A major focal point was the stretch on Higgins Road, between the Linear Trail and Towpath Lane, where there are currently no sidewalks. Town Manager Michael Milone said the Town has been in contact with the property owner for a segment of Higgins, while the other portion is Town-owned. Other uses for the money include replacing the deteriorated brick pavers around town and replacing the asphalt sidewalks with concrete slabs.
"We are doing quite a bit of sidewalk work," explained Director of Public Works Joseph Michelangelo. "We still have quite a few areas to do to connect them to destinations."
Also included in the 2010/2011 Public Works requests is $60,000 to repair the bridge on Creamery Road. An additional $600,000 is being requested in 2012/2013 to complete the project. Also in 2010/2011 is $1.3 million for road work. The road work line item would have to go to referendum because it is over the $350,000 threshold limit. In the last few years, the Town has invested in a Pavement Management System that will track the 151 miles of roads in Cheshire. According to experts who have weighed in on the matter, to keep up with the deteriorating surfaces, the Town needs to invest $1.3 million annually into the road infrastructure. Anything more and the Town can stay ahead of the curve yet, on the flip side, spending less could put the Town behind the eight ball. Milone said he rolled back last year's expenditure to $1 million, so it was important to try and keep up with the roads this year.
Another item that would go to referendum would be the $385,000 request for three new Public Works vehicles. Milone explained that the request has increased by $50,000 from last year's request due, in part, to the addition of a new pickup for the Highway Superintendent and the increased cost of the two other vehicles. Michelangelo hopes to purchase a 10-wheel tandem and a six-wheel dump truck.
To illustrate the condition of the vehicles being replaced, a 1995 dump truck was left sitting in the Town Hall parking lot Tuesday night. The dump bed had to be rebuilt twice, it is costly to maintain, and parts are hard to come by, according to staff. The 1995 truck and a 1997 vehicle would be replaced if the budget is passed, Michelangelo said. The trucks, which are used to plow, deteriorate quicker now than in the past because of the methods used to remove and melt snow. Years ago, it was a "seven-two" mix of sand and salt, meaning seven buckets of sand for every two buckets of salt. The sand doesn't do much in terms of melting snow and ice, it just provides "grit" to the road to help with traction. Now, salt is used and is combined with chemicals which can lead to the trucks rotting quicker. While the older trucks are not used on a daily basis, when a big storm hits, they are called into action, Michelangelo said.
Also discussed Tuesday night was a plan to convert the library's collection from a bar coding system to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. The request is for $300,000, with $122,000 covering the RFID system. Library Director Ramona Harten explained the RFID request is being coupled with other projects at the library because if "we're going to be disruptive, we might as well be disruptive all at once." Included in the request is $50,000 to relocate the teen area, which is expected to be funded through a state grant, and another $50,000 to reconfigure the children's room, which would be paid for out of the library's gift account. The additional funds, approximately $78,000, would cover new furniture, including desks and book shelves.
"This project has been on the back burner for about five years," Harten explained about the RFID system. "The technology was just not ready for prime time, but it's ready now."
With the RFID system, patrons would be able to use self-check out, thus freeing up staff to help in other areas. Additionally, there would be a self-check in option and a machine, similar to the copy machine there now, to accept change, bills, and possibly even credit and debit cards to handle late payments. The library takes in roughly $45,000 annually in late fees, a majority of which is paid in nickels and dimes. The automation of this service would also free up more staff time and allow them to assist patrons.
"This is the second year in a row we've had our staffing levels cut, but our business is still increasing. This system will help fill in those grey areas." Harten said. "We can get people out from behind the desk and have them help the public."
There are no budget meetings scheduled next week, but the Council will resume its Capital Budget discussions on Aug. 11, when the topic of the night will be education requests. A public hearing on the Capital Budget and Five Year Plan is scheduled for Aug. 18.